State Sen. Bill Stouffer (R) officially threw his hat into the ring Wednesday for the opportunity to take on 17-term Rep. Ike Skelton (D) in 2010.

Stouffer is a farmer and two-term state Senator from Napton.

“Missourians across the state are speaking out against Ike Skelton’s votes for a cap-and-trade plan that would skyrocket our electric bills by 90 percent; they have demanded accountability for out-of-control bailouts and have rallied against government-run health care,— Stouffer explained. “I cannot stand by any longer and watch Ike Skelton turn further left and cast more votes against Missouri’s interests.—

Stouffer’s announcement comes a week after state Rep. Vicky Hartzler announced her plans to seek the Republican nomination.

Skelton, who serves as Armed Services chairman, has routinely won re-election with two-thirds of the vote or more in his west-central district. The last time he garnered less than 60 percent of the vote was 1982.